Lens co

Bringing something fresh to research + implementation

Inquiry is essential for positive change.

Meaningful inquiry requires technical expertise.

Lens Collective LLC (Lens Co) is a research and implementation consulting enterprise that combines scientific rigor with real-world experience. Founded by Robin Petering, MSW, PhD, the Lens Co mission is to empower change for creating an equitable and just society through the strategic and appropriate use of data.

We all have a unique lens to view the world.

Together our vision becomes clearer.

Let us help you find the right lens.

We love data, but we really love the people that are represented by data.

Lens Co is a group of social work practitioners turned researchers that are committed to building partnerships with nonprofits, public agencies, foundations, and private companies to create a thriving society through high quality consulting services. Lens Co has experts with an immense depth of knowledge which is built upon decades of experience working on the front line as clinicians, advocates, and leaders in their field. The team at Lens Co has expertise in homelessness, HIV prevention, complex trauma, violence prevention, LGB-GNC populations, veteran populations, and implementation science.

We thrive on working well with others.

We create partners, not clients. We work with our partners to create meaningful research and evaluation projects that reflect the needs of everyone involved. We believe that research should be contextually appropriate by taking into consideration the complexities of research in the real world. We approach research from an empowerment, rather than deficit, model. We believe that when a project prioritizes ethics and inclusivity, research can give a voice to many who have historically been overlooked. We utilize a from-the-ground-up model that harnesses the lived experience of individuals, communities, and organizations.

We believe that research should not be intimidating or elite.

We value our projects that are approachable, interpretable and replicable. We also believe that research can be creative and fun. We are committed to dissemination and use a variety of methods to share results from blogs, infographics, websites to public speaking engagements and peer-reviewed journal articles. We strive to reduce the feedback loop from research to practice, knowing that the most meaningful research is accessible to a range of audiences.